Egg’s Real Identity In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms & His Game Of Thrones History Explained

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Be warned: This article reveals key plot details from episode 3 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the book series Tales of Dunk and Egg. If you haven’t experienced these yet, you might want to avoid reading further!

I’ve been completely hooked on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms! One of the characters, Egg, has a really fascinating backstory that connects surprisingly well to Game of Thrones. It premiered in January 2026, and the good news is HBO has already given it the green light for a second season. It’s the newest addition to the Game of Thrones universe, following House of the Dragon, and honestly, it’s shaping up to be something special.

As a fan, I’m really excited about this show! It feels like it’s bringing the magic back to this world after the ending of Game of Thrones left a lot of us disappointed. What I love is that it’s not as focused on huge battles with dragons and White Walkers anymore. Instead, it’s a more personal story about the characters themselves, and it’s based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, which is a fantastic collection of stories.

Although A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in the same world as Game of Thrones, you’ll notice some key differences. The biggest change is the focus: instead of following many characters from across Westeros, this story centers on just two: Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and his squire, Egg.

The true identity of Dexter Sol Ansell is fascinating and seems connected to the worlds of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and the broader Westeros universe.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Egg Is Really Aegon Targaryen

In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Egg acts as a squire, but his true identity is quite a surprise. He’s actually Aegon Targaryen, the fourth son of Prince Maekar Targaryen, who was himself the son of King Daeron II Targaryen. Daeron II is the king when the story begins, but later, Maekar takes the throne.

Egg’s Notable Family Members Relation
Maekar Targaryen Father
Daeron Targaryen Brother
Aerion Targaryen Brother
Aemon Targaryen Brother
Baelor Targaryen Uncle

Aegon Targaryen grew up as a prince, but later became known as simply “Egg” while serving as a squire. This nickname originated from how his name, Aegon, was pronounced – sounding like “Egg-on” – and his older brother started calling him Egg when he was young.

In the story A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Egg doesn’t tell anyone he’s a Targaryen until the third episode. In that episode, when Aerion attacks Tanselle for making fun of his family in a puppet show, Dunk tries to intervene. Before Aerion can fight Dunk, Egg steps in and reveals that he is Aerion’s younger brother.

Why Egg Hides His Real Identity

Aegon Targaryen uses the name “Egg” to conceal who he really is, and this has to do with a key storyline in the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. That season revolves around a tournament at Ashford Meadow, where Aegon was meant to assist his older brother, Daeron, as a squire.

In George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg series, it’s shown that Daeron actually didn’t want to participate in the tournament. Because of this, he and Aegon run away together. Aegon cuts off all his hair to disguise his Targaryen appearance, something Aerion points out when he meets Egg again in the third episode.

Before Egg reveals he’s a Targaryen in the third episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there are hints about his true identity. In the second episode, he shows clear concern when members of the Targaryen family arrive at the tournament. Additionally, his advanced vocabulary and knowledge of history suggest a royal upbringing.

What Happens To Egg During His Adventures With Dunk

The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on the story The Hedge Knight. It focuses on Dunk and his young squire, Egg, as they travel to a tournament. After the tournament ends, Egg asks his father, Maekar, if he can keep serving as Dunk’s squire, and Maekar eventually agrees, setting the stage for more adventures for the pair.

Following their initial adventures, Dunk and Egg journey through different parts of Westeros, visiting places like Dorne and Oldtown. The story “The Sworn Sword” will be the focus of the second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and it centers around Dunk and Egg resolving a disagreement about land ownership in the Reach.

In The Sworn Sword, Dunk and Egg cross paths with the Blackfyres – the illegitimate children of King Aegon IV Targaryen who were declared legitimate right before his death. This sparks the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, and Dunk and Egg unexpectedly become involved in the conflict.

If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gets a third season, it will likely be based on The Mystery Knight. This installment would follow Dunk and Egg as they participate in another tournament. The story also includes familiar characters and families from the Game of Thrones world, like the Starks and Freys.

How Egg Becomes King & What We Know About Aegon V’s Reign

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After finishing his training as a squire, Aegon eventually becomes a Targaryen king in the world of Game of Thrones. He earns the nickname “The Unlikely” because he was the fourth son of Maekar I. His older brother Daeron died from an illness, and his second brother, Aerion, was infamous for being cruel and unstable.

Driven to insanity, Aerion mistakenly drinks wildfire, believing it will transform him into a dragon. Following Maekar I’s death, only Aemon, a learned maester, and Aegon are left. A Great Council is convened to choose the next king, and Aemon argues strongly that Aegon should be placed on the Iron Throne, ultimately leading to him becoming Aegon V Targaryen.

Aegon was a popular king because he worked to help the common people of Westeros. This upset some of the other lords, but Aegon successfully put down several uprisings, including the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, while he was in power.

I truly believed King Aegon V was trying to do the right thing for the common people. He felt like he needed the strength and awe that the dragons once brought to our house to get the lords of the realm on board with his plans. It breaks my heart to say it, but his efforts to bring dragons back ended in disaster at Summerhall. The fire took him, his heir, and the noble Ser Duncan the Tall – a terrible loss for us all.

How Game Of Thrones Referenced Egg

Considering how important Egg will be in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it’s natural to wonder if he was ever mentioned in Game of Thrones. He was, in fact, referenced a few times by Aemon Targaryen, his brother, who served as a maester of the Night’s Watch.

During the first season of Game of Thrones, Jon Snow contemplates leaving the Night’s Watch to aid his family. During this, Maester Aemon reveals he is actually Aemon Targaryen and explains that his brother, Aegon, became king because Aemon himself declined the throne. Later, in season 5 of Game of Thrones, Aemon develops dementia.

As he lay dying, Aemon tells Jon, “Egg, I dreamed that I was old.” This reveals Aemon’s confused state and a memory of his youth spent with Aegon – the man he nicknamed ‘Egg’. With the show A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms expanding on Egg’s past, these moments in Game of Thrones will likely become even more poignant as we see his adventures unfold visually.

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2026-02-02 18:01